Every coat that we make is built from scratch and based on a custom pattern that is drafted to fit the needs of the client.

Add a pocket, change the button placement, add a leather undercollar, remove the cuff or just slightly change the profile of the cuff to get the look you want—we can do virtually anything and will sketch ideas until we get the look just right.

One of our specialties is the full length heavy wool coat.

A full length coat is like nothing else for staying warm and looking stylish—the one and the other are both so important to the military heritage of the wool overcoat—-saving one from freezing on winter campaigns and allowing one to look good while riding at the head of the troops.

Many of the fabrics we use are literally the same fabrics in the same weights from the same mills that made fabrics for the British campaigns against Napoleon and for the Union in the American Civil War.

These heavyweight meltons and doeskins don’t pill and hardly wear.

They were designed for an age in which life was short but a good coat would last for several generations.

The grey coat shown in this listing is made from a 25oz wool melton with a Mongolian lamb collar.

The piece is cut with vintage frock or paletot seaming that allows for a highly shaped waist with a skirt that flares at the hips.

The pockets are Edwardian US Marine Corps style and this source of inspiration is repeated in the seamed on cuff detailing.

A narrow back belt and back box pleats complete the look.

Contrast details include white top-stitching, blue buttonholes, a blue undercollar, under pocket flap, and underbelt and a kidney (neck latch) with one grey and one blue side.

The best way to get started is to Contact Us with any thoughts and questions you may have.

At that point we can start sketching ideas and sourcing fabrics for you.

We can get virtually any type of outerwear fabric, leather, or fur.

And we can make a coat with the details inspired by any era.

Every year we make coats for clients located all across the world.

Once you realize that you don’t have to be cold to look awesome, your winter days will be transformed.
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http://denverbespoke.com/?feed=rss2&p=27240Custom Waxed Cloth Field Jackets and Vestshttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2675
http://denverbespoke.com/?p=2675#commentsThu, 01 Jun 2017 02:02:23 +0000adminhttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2675There is something about waxed cotton that feels so different than other weather-resistant fabrics.
More authentic. Less modern or plastic-y or tacky.

Like pull-up leather, waxed cloth changes a bit each time you wear it. It scratches and cracks and then the cracks begin to fade.

It is sort of like having your history written in the fabric—the patina of your every motion.

It feels like having a trusty leather jacket that is more waterproof and a much lighter weight.

Waxed cotton began as a material that sailors wore.

Sailors first realized that dipping their sails in water made their boats faster when less air could get through.

Later oils and waxes were tried as something more permanent.

And what could be more natural than for a sailor to wear the sail cloth when he wanted to stay dry and keep out the wind?

We wax cloth in house starting with fine American cotton and hot dipping the fabric in beeswax, paraffin and natural oils.

Depending on how we balance the oils and waxes the fabric can take on more or less patina with wear.

The waxes darken the color of the fabric significantly, but when the wax is scratched or cracked, the original lighter colors are “pulled-up” in the patina.

This distressing is called “crazing”.

The pictures show some of our favorite recent pieces—-our classic travel blazer with vintage style patch pockets, two button lapels, and a throat tab.

A charcoal grey field jacket with a stand-up collar, neck belts, heavy quilted elbow padding, and back gussets.

Our famous military inspired motorcycle vests.

And a 1920s style shawl collar jacket with a half-lining, piped seams, and a kidney to close up the neck.

We are one of the only tailors in the world making fully custom pieces from waxed cloth.

If you can imagine it, we can almost always make it.

We start by sketching, and then work with you to discuss sizing, fabrics, colors, and buttons until we have exactly the right materials.

We work with clients all over the world.

So if you are thinking of a waxed cloth field jacket, work jacket, travel blazer, vest—-or any style you can think of—-we are the ones to make it for you.

http://denverbespoke.com/?feed=rss2&p=26750The Custom Business Suithttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2634
http://denverbespoke.com/?p=2634#commentsThu, 17 Nov 2016 21:35:13 +0000adminhttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2634Business attire doesn’t need to be uninteresting or nondescript.
Even in the most conservative settings, subtle details and a great fit can set your look apart.

Every year we work with clients from all walks of life—from artists and performers who need to express their individuality in the boldest fashion—to lawyers and bankers for for whom a more strict dress code applies.

For an artist, or someone in a creative field, a bold plaid may be called for. For a banker, we can look closely at the sheen and drape of the fabric and the subtle details of the prick-stitching and hand-tacking of pocket ends.

On every piece that we make, we can examine and consider hundreds of possibilities from the most subtle to the most bold.

And in each case, we work with a client to get exactly the fit that he is looking for—-whether this means something that is as fitted as possible or something that has more of a classic drape.

The suit pictured is cut from a Japanese woven heavyweight wool suiting in denim blue with a contrast linen vest.

The style features a somewhat cropped jacket length with a fitted silhouette. The jacket has patch pockets, metal buttons, a curved placket, tabbed sleeve cuffs, and contrast top-stitching in rust color.

The pants are high-waisted with a fitted thigh and seat and a wide leg with a deep cuff.

All of these details give the suit a contemporary “mod” look that is both business-ready and also sporty, durable, and wrinkle free.

But this is just one option from thousands of possible suits.

We work with you from initial sketches and swatches to a muslin fitting (where we mail you a cotton mock-up of the suit to try on and you send digital pics), so that we can be sure we are building exactly the suit you are looking for at every stage.

Each year we work with clients all over the world who are looking to build something unique. All of our suits are made here in our studio in Denver, Colorado.

http://denverbespoke.com/?feed=rss2&p=26340Fabrics By Scabalhttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2614
http://denverbespoke.com/?p=2614#commentsThu, 28 Jul 2016 17:25:46 +0000adminhttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2614We have recently had the privilege of working with several remarkable fabrics from Scabal.

Scabal provides much of the finest English-woven cloth to tailors on Savile Row and around the world. English cloth is instantly recognizable by its incredible finish and drape.

Because these fabrics are produced in small volumes but in thousands of styles, the look of each fabric can be utterly unique.

At first glance, a fabric might seem traditional, at second glance, the most rare of birds.

The first fabric shows a fresco jacquard weave fabric from the Colibri collection.

This type of fabric is woven for summer weather with a relatively thick and durable yarn but in a mesh-like weave that stands away from the body and allows fresh air to blow through the fabric, keeping you utterly cool, while also staying wrinkle free.

The next fabric is from the Galaxy collection and is a lightweight super 110’s suiting with a jacquard weave the combines elements of a herringbone and a chalk stripe.

A fabric like this provides everything that a man wants in a business suit: breathability, crispness, wrinkle resistance, durability and beauty.

English cloth can raise the price of a custom suit to some degree, (certainly well beyond the price of made to measure suits from Asia), and whether the higher price is worth it can depend on both the client and the choice of color and weave.

For a plain navy or charcoal suit, we often recommend one of our American woven wool gabardines or some of our fine Italian fabrics.

But for a client that is looking for that perfect combination of a fabric that is distinctive and yet classy, worthy of comment, and yet not flashy, it is impossible to go wrong with a fabric from Scabal.

We always have 10s of thousands of fabrics to choose from. So wether you are looking for a hard to find color or a remarkable weave, we are sure to have the fabric for you.

It is time to look for something fresh.

After decades of being stuck in an endless repeat, formalwear is back to what is was in the earlier 20th century and before:

A chance to show distinction and individuality. Charm. Even a sense of humor.

A man either knows who he is or he doesn’t. And the man who knows who he is is less concerned with rules than with expression.

Whether you are attending black tie events on a regular basis or looking for something unique to wear to your wedding, choosing black and white tie attire is a chance to examine your tastes, your personality, and the things that you appreciate.

Looking fashionable is always about looking to tradition and finding the elements that are most relevant to the present.

In the images attached to this post, we looked variously to the Victorian smoking jacket, the jacket cuffs of the 1920s, mid-20th century resort dinner jackets, the fitted pants of the cavalry man, and military double-breasted waistcoats.

The result is a little bit of the gentleman. A little bit of the rogue.

Ready for a wedding. And for the party after the wedding.

The first jacket is cut from a napped chenille brocade with silk velvet lapels, cuffs, and pocket welts.

The jacket is paired with a wool gabardine rocker pant with a velvet tuxedo stripe and a silk velvet topper trimmed with cock feathers.

A pointed back collar and pointed cuffs, give the piece a bit of extra character.

The jacket is utterly fitted with a frock waist seam that gives it a slight hourglass look.

The next tuxedo pictured is cut from 11oz wool gabardine in navy with heavy silk grosgrain lapels and 1920s style cuffs.

The jacket is shown with a silk brocade vest in a double breasted style with a high neck and a trouser with a tuxedo braid on the outseam.

But these pieces are just examples of what we can do.

All of our tuxedos are completely custom made for each client, starting with unique sketches that we do based on your thoughts and sourcing the finest fabrics from around the world.

Most of our tuxedos are “muslin fit.”

This means that we cut and sew cotton prototypes of the garments and mail them to you. Then you send us digital pictures and your comments and we fine tune the patterns and look to suit you perfectly.

We make suits for clients who are looking for something distinctive all over the world.

http://denverbespoke.com/?feed=rss2&p=25640The Future of American Sportswearhttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2493
http://denverbespoke.com/?p=2493#commentsSat, 05 Mar 2016 23:02:28 +0000adminhttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2493In the United States, we tend to call the best business and formal

looks and fits “European” or “Italian” or “British,”–

Edwardian Cut Brown Flannel Sport Suit

sometimes for good reason, and sometimes merely as a shorthand for saying that a look is “good” or “exciting” or somehow intangibly different from the basic relaxed New England look that we are used to seeing in the shops.
But if there is one area of tailoring that is truly American, it is sportswear.

To a certain extent, we inherited our love and notions of “sports” from the British. But sport always meant something a bit different to Americans than it did to the Brits.

Crown Shape Pockets and 1920s Style Cuffs

To the Brits “sport” centered around the country estate and the hunt—activities that one would do as a gentleman of leisure when outside of the city.

For Americans, this idea of sport was quickly eclipsed by the idea of strenuous activities that one did often for the sake of health and entertainment.

Crown Shaped Breast Pocket with Embroidered Crowsfoot Tacks

The tennis court, the golf course, the beach. Sailing, skiing, riding, fishing and even flying.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries men wore sport jackets for all of these activities.

Slim Fit Box Pleated Pant

Jackets with “action backs” to allow for a freedom of movement.

Jackets with throat latches to keep out the cold.

Shawl Collar Hand-Stitched Vest

Jackets from linen for the heat and sweat or from waxed cotton to keep out the rain.

The ideal man was not a man of leisure but a man of activity who needed to be ready for anything!

Suits made from matched cloth were replaced by separates.

Plaid Seersucker Sport Jacket

A jacket in one fabric, and a pant in another. Plaids, houndstooths, herringbones.

Eventually sportswear evolved into our basic everyday casual clothing. And in the late 20th Century came to mean nothing more than jeans and a t-shirt.

Linen Moto Vest

But now, when more and more men are trying to dress up and look good, an older, more authentic vision of sportswear has become relevant again.

Linen Back on Tweed Vest

We want to dress better. But we don’t want to be limited by the way that we dress.

We want durable fabrics that we can wear anywhere.

We want a full range of movement so that we can drive, throw a ball, or put away a bottle on the top shelf.

Most of all, an American aesthetic is about not being constrained.

Shawl Collar Donegal Tweed Vest

We buy big trucks instead of little cars, so that we can (at least in our imaginations) drive a rocky road to a forlorn mountain cabin or pack up all of our belongings to move to a new town.
Part of what Denver Bespoke and AJ Machete and Sons are about is a striving after an authentically American vision of tailoring.

We aren’t interested in recycling English and European fashions, either as a vision of James Bond or a British gent, or that perfectly spontaneous and romantic looking fellow at the Italian cafe.

1920s Style American "Swoosh" Breastpocket

We want something a bit more rugged. Maybe a bit more rustic.

Copper Stitching and Buttons with Herringbone Shirt

Something that fits in with the Rocky Mountains and the American West instead of the postcard version of a European capital.

Retro Tweed Pant with Wide Waistband

So we call our suits “American Suits”. But basically they are just suits for men who do things and who want to look good doing them.

All of our pieces our completely custom made. And we are one of the few tailors anywhere who work in a sportswear aesthetic and can make any detail that you have seen anywhere.

Because let’s face it, the coat you buy at the store is barely a coat—it just looks like one.

The fabric is too lightweight.

It hardly covers your neck and it ends a few inches above the knee. Chances are it weighs less than 1 pound (versus the 5-6 pounds of many vintage overcoats).

The fabric is probably blended with acrylic and will pill after a few wears.

If you want to stay warm or go out in the elements, you will probably end up with some type of ski jacket or nylon puffer.

But you can’t wear that with a suit and it is only fashionable on the slopes.

Our coats—to say the least—are real coats. The fabrics are heavyweight wool meltons from 23 ounces up to 32 ounces (shockingly warm!) or handwoven Scottish and Irish tweeds that are literally made the same way they were 130 years ago.

The lengths and the collars are generous, and everything is intended for a lifetime of wear.

The navy blue coat with the red undercollar is cut from a gorgeous 25 ounce melton with bullhide neck straps.

This style is unique in that it features fully convertible peak lapels.

This means that the coat lapels can be buttoned all the way up to the shoulder and the top collar can be worn popped up or folded down like a shirt collar. Alternately the lapels can be worn folded with the top collar popped around the neck.

The style features a back half belt, a waist seam, and tall seamed on cuffs.

Like all of our coats, this was custom made for a client. When you contact us, we work to design a coat that includes all of the details and elements that you might like.

We can always get hundreds of amazing coating fabrics.

The next set of pictures shows a coat that we made from an amazing handwoven English tweed. The color is a dusty red interwoven with a deep navy blue.

This coat features many of the classic trench coat elements like a gun flap, epaulettes, wrist belts, and a “kidney” to close up the neck.

Other elements include top-stitched seams, gold piping on the lapels and belts, and a curved back yoke.

Finally here are a few more takes on the immortal military trench coat collar.

The pic of the beige coat shows a coat that we made that is modeled after the M-1912 greatcoat that US Marines wore during WWI.

This particular coat is made from an incredibly heavy 32 ounce wool melton with a highly felted nap.

The lapels on this coat don’t fold down quite as much as on later trenchcoats, but the style is meant to be buttoned up all the way to the neck for a distinctly vintage look.

The next set of pics shows a greatcoat that we made with a collar cut from salt and pepper shearling lambskin.

The coat is cut from a gorgeous wool boucle with a concealed front button placket and a back belt that pleats in the waist.

The final pic shows a coat that we made from Navy Doeskin wool with a detachable sheared beaver collar.

Doeskin is a gorgeous velvety napped wool that Hainsworth fabrics in the UK is famous for.

This company, which has been making fabric since the 18th century supplies the fabrics for the Royal Guard and we can supply their fabrics on request.

Each coat that we make is totally custom and can be made from pretty much any fabric you can imagine.

So if you want a real winter coat that will keep you warm in high fashion, just contact us and we can get started designing a coat for you.
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http://denverbespoke.com/?feed=rss2&p=24340Morning Coats and Tailcoats–From Wools and Silkshttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2356
http://denverbespoke.com/?p=2356#commentsFri, 30 Jan 2015 20:45:57 +0000adminhttp://denverbespoke.com/?p=2356Every year, many of our clients choose to get married in tails.

Sometimes in classic white tie, sometimes in a swallowtail look or in one of our military or steampunk styles.

Tailcoats and morning coats have deep roots in tradition, but in the modern era can be some of the most unique and expressive pieces in menswear.

In recent decades, women would show up in wedding gowns and flamboyant ball gowns and men would show up in rented black suits.

Such is a poor way to honor the special events in one’s life.

But recently, we have seen more and more tailcoats at red carpet events as men have become more interested in dressing well.

Traditionally, the black tailcoat with a black double striped trouser and a matching white pique vest, shirt bib, and bowtie was the ultimate evening formalwear.

For the daytime, a black or charcoal morning coat—a frock coat that sometimes has a pronounced swallowtail or cutaway shape—with a charcoal striped pant, and a contrast vest, with either with a contrast formal cravat or bowtie was the way to go.

But dressing well is not so much about following the rules as it is about using tradition to express your individuality.

The pics show one of our most recent morning suits.

The cut of the coat is a hybrid of a swallowtail coat with the sharper, more angled shape of classic tailcoats.

The front shape is continuous along the placket, but then cuts away sharply back into a square tail. It is my feeling that this shape feels more modern than a classic swallowtail.

All of the pieces tie in various shades of purple.

The tailcoat is cut from a black wool, but with silk lapel facings that wrap around to the wool edge which features rows of decorative buttonholes. The silk is iridescent—charcoal grey woven with subtle purple.

The vest––cut from pale purple silk––features classic peak lapels and a low neck.

And the pant is made from a traditional morning stripe charcoal wool––but here the stripes are purple as well this time, a bold purple that is only visible when close.

The cut of the pants is a classic wide-leg pleated style with wide cuffs.

Finally, the 6″ top hat is cut from a subtle purple heather flannel that reads as charcoal grey at first glance with trim to match the morning coat.

We made everything in the pics except the shoes and the ivory handled walking stick (which belonged to my great great grandfather!).

So if you are considering a tailcoat, a morning coat, a top hat, or a vest definitely Contact Us so that we can talk more.

All of our pieces are custom made to your measurements, and with the full suits, we actually cut and sew mock-ups of the pieces to mail to you to try on, ensuring a perfect fit in the final garments.

Last year, we made suits for events all across the world.

So where ever you are located, we can make a suit for you.

Each piece is handmade one-at-a-time here in our studio in Denver, Colorado.

Ten years ago more than 2/3 of pictures we would see from weddings would show the groom and the groomsmen, often outdoors and during the day, wearing black tuxedos.

Not that there is anything wrong with this!

“Class,” “Sophistication,” “Snobbery,” however—whatever you want to call it—generally decrees against wearing a black suit during the daytime and is especially against the tuxedo or dinner jacket during the day.

Instead, if one wishes to look quite formal, one should wear a morning coat with charcoal striped pants in place of the matched tuxedo, or a classic suit in a stripe, check, or color.

Fredo in Search of the Inner WASP

To a large degree, in the United States, this belongs to the history of New England WASPs versus urban Catholics, particularly Italians.

A Piped Swallowtail Morning Coat

To wear a tuxedo during the day would be to look like an “immigrant” at best or like one of the wedding party at Don Corleone’s in the Godfather at worst. This type of attire, declared the experts, was quite simply improper and showed a lack of “class.”

In fact, for Godfather II, when the family is trying to take the business in a legitimate direction, costume designer Theodora Van Runkle argued with Francis Ford Coppola to get the family out of black as an expression of their WASPish ambitions.

A Grey Prince of Wales Plaid for the Summer

I personally am all for “class,” sophistication and consciousness. And for manners as well.

That said, the Corleones do look pretty sharp in their tuxes and I see no reason that this look is to be avoided at all costs. I certainly like the look better than most Brooks Brothers suits with the slouchy and boxy fit, and am no fan of American Trad in that sense.

A Window Pane Vest We Tailored

Although I attended Harvard myself, there is a small (or even large?) part of me that would prefer looking like a mobster to looking like a New England upper cruster.

Nonetheless, I am happy to see that, in today’s weddings, the black tuxedo is becoming more and more rare.

Colors and patterns are back. Morning coats are back. Eclectic is back.

We make suits for summer weddings in natural colored linens and raw silks or plaid jackets for fall weddings in colors that coordinate with the falling leaves.

A Bold Morning Frock

For those more formally inclined, we make gorgeous morning coats with charcoal striped trousers, picking up, perhaps, one of the wedding colors in the pant stripe.

Classic Silk Herringbone Suit

None of this is necessarily better.

But it is a much better chance to exercise some of the sophistication that is possible in menswear.

Back in the 1990s, for example, you went to a “fancy” restaurant to dine on steaks or perhaps surf’n'turf or warmed over French-style cuisine. There were only a small handful of expensive tastes available to the American diner.

Today, however, everyone is a sophisticate. Friends sit around and discuss balsamic reductions and how to cook kohlrabi. Fine dining can include flavors from Korea or South America just as easily as from France.

And all of this makes life richer, more reflective—-Even if snobbery can leave a bad taste in the mouth.

Here at Denver Bespoke, building the perfect wedding suit starts with the tastes and interests of the bride and groom and the setting of the wedding.

From this starting point, we sketch ideas and search out the perfect fabrics to build a totally unique look that is styled to your individuality. We love black—but often for a touch of the Victorian, goth or punk rock look.

Every suit that we make is custom tailored here in our studio in Denver, Colorado for clients around the world.

Moving beyond the horizontal flap pocket, the two pocket styles that most American’s will be familiar with are the “Jetted” pocket and the “Patch Pocket”.

A jetted pocket is a pocket identical to the basic flap pocket, but with the flap removed. What is left is the upper and the lower “besom” or “piping.”

Generally, this style is seen on tuxedo jackets and it can give the jacket a more formal, cleaner look.

The sketch above for the “Jetted” look, shows a classic tuxedo look where the body is an superfine wool and the lapels and pocket besoms are in a silk satin or grosgrain.

Pointed Flap Pockets with Flap Breast Pocket

In general, we do not recommend the jetted pocket except on tuxedos. The jetted pocket has a tendency to gape open when the pocket is used to hold an object of any size or weight.

On a flap pocket, the flap covers the gap, but jetted pockets on the outside of tuxedos are often left basted shut to assure the cleanest and most put-together look.

A patch pocket, on the other hand, is the traditional casual daytime pocket.

I say “casual,” but casual in a way that has very very little to do with the hoodies and tshirts that many men consider to be casual attire today.

Instead, the patch pocket is actually more sophisticated than wearing a tuxedo in many cases. If it is at all avoidable, one should never wear a tuxedo during the day. Instead, a jacket or suit with patch pockets in a sporty fabric shows just the right amount of attention to dress for outdoor summer weddings.

Sporty Patch with Flap Pockets

Midway between the patch pocket the traditional flap pocket is the “hacking pocket”. A hacking pocket is a flap pocket that is angled backward on the body.

Originally a detail from British riding attire, the hacking pocket as a long history in men’s sportswear and business attire especially in the British and Continental traditions.

It tends to read as slightly more sporty, but also more sophisticated, than the standard horizontal flap pocket.

One often sees the hacking pocket accompanied by a “ticket pocket.” This additional pocket balances out the breast pocket on the left side and can be useful for smaller items that one needs to keep track of.

Of course, these are only some of the possible pocket shapes and details from the long tradition of men’s formal, sport, and business attire.

Some 1920s Details

For those who are more adventurous, we offer our signature curved breast pockets (a 1920s and 1930s sportswear detail) or crown-shaped pockets with pointed flaps (common in the military and sport jacket traditions).

One should never be anxious about “over-doing” details when choosing a pocket shape—-to men who don’t care about suits, and to most women—a suit is a suit and most of the details are nearly invisible. To those who care about menswear, a unique detail or two, properly chosen is what dressing well is all about.

We can design a suit with any pocket styles you might like and would love to talk more. Because we make each piece one-at-a-time here in our studio in Denver, Colorado, we are always able to design a piece with the details that fit your individual tastes.